Thank you! The problem is, I click on the install button and they just don’t install. I have reset the watch and started from scratch. Neither setting up a new watch nor restoring from a backup will let me install the apps.
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watchOS 26 Beta Thread
- Thread starter goldmac2006
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Same boat as all of you guys, my Hermes Series 10 is completely bricked. Watch faces crash every few seconds (all of them). Entire battery depleted in less than 30 minutes from 100% to 0%. Took over a day to charge back up to 100% just to get another 20 minutes of use out of it.
Of my reported feedback — two on the Watch itself (FB18336070 & FB18323575) and one on the iOS app (FB18323704) "Recent Similar Reports" is more than 10, with resolution "Open." The thread in the Developer group has 258 views as of a few minutes ago. I am pretty sure Apple is aware. Preventing anyone else from doing this is a good goal though.
Oh come on! This is the watchOS 26 Beta Thread. in Every. Single. Beta. Thread. someone takes it upon themselves to tell people they should have a backup, not use their primary device, blah blah blah. It's as regular as Christmas.
No one doesn't know that!
There are people who want to try the new thing. What's wrong with that? If you don't, that's fine, but hanging out in a beta testing thread is an odd way to show that.
More importantly than the opinion of people in a forum is that Apple has changed its view on this. It used to have a much more protective approach but given that literally anyone can install the DPs, it has obviously decided that benefits it gets from widening the pool of testers outweigh the risks of support calls. (Incidentally no, I don't believe you can get support at an Apple Store, and I don't think you should be able to. Apple provides feedback mechanisms, and you should use those. Them's the breaks. What's downhill of choosing to apply a DP is you should get comfortable putting on the big boy pants. Other opinions are available, etc.)
Now, for the record, I do have a developer account. But this is actually a perfect example of beta testing doing exactly what it is supposed to!
People with Hermès watches represent a small subset that likely would not have surfaced in any appreciable number, if at all, of developers keeping watches purely for testing. Why would you get the watch with a fancy strap when "everyone knew" that this was "exactly the same" watch internals as the Sport and regular steel models? You may remember this informed criticism of the Edition models: who, went the argument, would spend so much money on something functionally identical to the cheaper model?
But, it turns out the firmware differences associated with with custom watch faces likely are the differentiator, and this has very quickly — and more to the point, efficiently — been identified as a problem. Who knew? Evidently, not Apple! So, this group of watches which by the way also represent customers willing to give Apple more money for "exactly the same thing" and so are presumably a small but rather attractive demographic of people self-selecting to be on the wrong side of price discrimination, would not be tested. When the release was pushed to the normies, how would that go? All-but bricking every Hermès watch that got upgraded to watchOS 26? It would be a PR fiasco! Instead, within a few hours, Apple knew that there is a small but quite serious bug — and the Feedback app tells us so. The variables will be whether Apple thinks this number of affected watches is worth a quick patch, B3, or maybe that's already locked and we'll need to wait for B4.
This is the beta program working exactly as intended.
And as to the forum: numerous people have submitted bug reports, and through this very group I learned this from DanRyb:
I might have got there myself, but this was faster. And this is the workaround: it's not a fix but will render affected watches usable suboptimally for now, but more importantly, be able to get sufficient charge to be patched or receive a subsequent beta when released.
So that's the community working: we established a problem, hopefully warned a few people off, collectively escalated in sufficient numbers to Apple that the bug is on someone's to-do list to investigate, and we know how to get ourselves into a position where this is recoverable. And all within a few hours. I'll take the win.
Update on this.
It's strange. So when I turn it on and it's on the charger after doing this everything is fine. The second I take it off the charger the watch face loop starts and just gets worse. If I am NOT on the watch face everything works fine. I can even check for updates in settings without anything messing up. I have another Apple Watch so it's no big deal, but at least for me it looks like I can just update the watch from the settings inside of it when the next version comes out. All other apps also work fine on there. Still would be cool to figure out what is actually doing it.
Just checked, MacRumors already covered this, but if you want to share your thoughts, I’ll get it sorted ✔️ with the tip later today. Check out this link: https://www.macrumors.com/2025/06/25/watchos-26-hermes-crash-issue/
Had you tried to delete the compatible app off your iPhone then reinstall it there?
Is the automatic app install setting on?
Very weird. I installed the first beta since the minute it came out. And then the second one. My watch looked exactly the same as OS11, even though it said I had the newest beta installed….Then I set up my watch as new with a fresh install and I have all the liquid glass now and everything. Crazy.
Just got my express replacement for my Hermes watch, leaving it on 11.5. The watch app is still borked on DB2 even with a watch on an older OS, though since it’s all setup I can’t be bothered to downgrade my phone again to DB1. Also all my health data went away until I upgraded my phone back to DB2
I just sent it to Apple Store, hardware test shows a❗️on the wrist temperature sensor (it might simply be due to beta OS) So factory test needed, may take 1-2 weeks.
Unfortunately, no change to this in beta 2, guess they are doing something with the way workouts are calculated but issue continues to persist. Have raised a bug for what its worth
I also have an Hermes Watch and I have installed the latest beta heres is what I’m doing and it’s working for me.
Leave it on low power mode. Keep trying it for a few times eventually will give you an option that says do you want to leave it on one day two days or three days low power mode, I’ve chosen three days , im doing minimum interaction with Watch i.e. checking the time. use your iPhone instead
when charging use a charger with 7w or less or even better put it charging via your Mac and you will achieve 100% battery charge. The lower the charger the better it will not heat up the watch,
I’ve had to watch on my wrist since morning started on 100% and so far its been losing 10% every hour, with low power mode and its helping me. If if i get 10 hours that means most of my day , if you do exercice when you finish charge it again. Hope my experience helps.
I also had the option to send my watch to Apple, but will take two weeks no point if in two weeks we have a new beta , I’d rather wait , bring on DB3 😊
Leave it on low power mode. Keep trying it for a few times eventually will give you an option that says do you want to leave it on one day two days or three days low power mode, I’ve chosen three days , im doing minimum interaction with Watch i.e. checking the time. use your iPhone instead
when charging use a charger with 7w or less or even better put it charging via your Mac and you will achieve 100% battery charge. The lower the charger the better it will not heat up the watch,
I’ve had to watch on my wrist since morning started on 100% and so far its been losing 10% every hour, with low power mode and its helping me. If if i get 10 hours that means most of my day , if you do exercice when you finish charge it again. Hope my experience helps.
I also had the option to send my watch to Apple, but will take two weeks no point if in two weeks we have a new beta , I’d rather wait , bring on DB3 😊
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Absolutely! I hope it works for you too. But before installing, give it some time, especially if a certain Apple Watch got recently got bricked up by a bug in the prior build.
Apple tends to take it down if it happens too often. A few betas have been taken down due to bricking issues back in watchOS 11.
Wow @jabrown93 the app is still not working out for you? Even after the downgrade did the app work?
@ashan626 that seems abnormal to me. The temperature sensor did even feel the heat from the power being drawn a lot on the beta. Is it your Hermes watch doing that, and was it a series 8 or 9?
If my iPhone is on iOS 18 or iOS 26 DB1, the app works. But on DB2 it doesn't work with any Hermes watch on any version of watchOS
My watch got super hot on DB2, to the point of being unwearable, so I wouldn't be surprised if it detected overheating
Got it. Also y’all Hermes beta testers! I submitted a tip to editorial board to include y’all’s feedback regarding watchOS 26 beta 2. Hopefully Apple will release patches soon for this beta!If my iPhone is on iOS 18 or iOS 26 DB1, the app works. But on DB2 it doesn't work with any Hermes watch on any version of watchOS
My watch got super hot on DB2, to the point of being unwearable, so I wouldn't be surprised if it detected overheating
Yeah Hermès S9. And add on Jabrown’s issue, I put on another Hermès watch on watchOS 11, the watch app on iPhone still crashes (iOS26 beta2), then switch to another non-Hermès watch, the app is ok
Great suggestion! But I have already tried deleting and reinstalling apps, to no avail. And auto install is on. Thank you!
I have watchOS 26 with series 10, my watch seems to reboot nightly randomly. Rebooted yesterday while doing a yoga workout.
I’ve submitted feedback and reports are more than 10. Clearly an issue and no I don’t have the Hermes watch face.
Anyone else notice reboots?
I’ve submitted feedback and reports are more than 10. Clearly an issue and no I don’t have the Hermes watch face.
Anyone else notice reboots?
You are stuck unless you send your Apple Watch off to Apple.
Is the model you’re wearing an Apple Watch Hermes? We have a lot of folks coming in with bricking issues and heat while charging and battery problems.
Correct, sir. You’ll need to keep your Apple Watch Ultra on 26 until you visit an Apple Store or mail it to an Apple repair center for downgrade.
Since our watches don’t have ports that require a proprietary tool accessible only to Apple repair centers, the diagnostic tool, you can’t downgrade it yourself, unlike you could on an iPhone or iPad.
Try installing another compatible app and see if it installs on your watch.
Hello everyone! Has anyone else discovered they are unable to sign into the App Store through the watch app? As in signing into the 'media and purchases' section of the app. Just get 'server error'